With the rise of social media, it’s no secret that how we’re able to market our products, services, and events has changed. But many don’t realize the impact that influencer marketing can have on their event success. Did you know that nearly half of internet users rely on influencer recommendations to make decisions? Plus, almost 90% of women use social media for purchase advice. Those two statistics show that if you’re not engaging influencers, you’re likely missing out on attracting some of your target audience. So, today we’re going to share a few tips for how you can leverage influencer marketing for your event marketing strategy! Let’s dive in.
Types of Events That Benefit from Social Media Influencer Marketing
First, what kinds of events can benefit? In reality, any event when done correctly. But these are some of the top options.
Lifestyle Conferences
Events like our recent CurlyCon event are the perfect opportunity for influencer marketing. People follow individuals who live a lifestyle they want to have. So, when you connect a curly-haired influencer with your event for curly-haired people, they will share it with all their curly-haired followers, and voila! See?
Things like personal development summits, women’s networking events, and entrepreneurial development seminars are perfect fits for this.
Product Launch Events
Did you know that 92% of people trust influencers more than traditional ads or celebrity endorsements? So if you’re launching a new product like makeup, an app, fitness apparel, you name it—promoting that product launch via an influencer in that space will help you grow tenfold.
Non-Profit Fundraisers
People want to help causes near and dear to the hearts of the people they follow. Use this to advance your mission!
Using influencers for these events can help with greater engagement, higher attendance, less stress on the marketing front, more robust analytics, high-quality video content with less cost, and social proof for future events.
Tips for How to Deploy Influencer Marketing to Gain Attendees Effectively
The key to successful influencer marketing for your events is to engage and strategize effectively. The average ROI for a dollar spent on influencer marketing is $5.78, with some gaining as much as an $18 return. We want that return for you! Here are a few tips to start achieving that.
Ensure You’re Engaging the Right Influencers
When it comes to finding the right influencers, nearly a quarter of brands really struggle, and well over half find it fairly difficult. Here are a few tips to start:
- Research to find micro-influencers and nano-influencers with high engagement, they are typically more likely to see sales
- Define your target audience thoroughly and ask for their analytics to ensure audiences align
- Talk with them personally—don’t just chat via email or PR reps, in order to really get a feel for their personality and interest, you need that one-on-one connection
For our recent CurlyCon event, our Founder & CEO, Alecia May, sat down with every influencer who was considering being a part of the event. She intentionally asked questions that uncovered their interest, engagement levels, audience authenticity, values, and more. With this, we were able to grow our following and event attendees to the thousands in less than three months. This stuff works, guys!
Make Sure Your Contracts Are Clear
A lot of people aren’t thorough with their contracts. This is a mistake. You want to be on the same page with your influencers. This means knowing exactly:
- How many posts they’re going to create
- What channels they’re posting on
- During what timeframes they’ll be posting
- How long the posts will be, and what format will they be in
- Which hashtags they need to use
- How will ROI be tracked (affiliate links, codes?)
All of this (and much more, reach out if you have questions) should be outlined with fees, so there is no confusion, misrepresentation, or frustration down the line.
Cultivate Content Before, During, and After
A lot of people only engage influencers for the promotion of the event. But, if you do that, while you may gain some attendees, you’re also leaving a lot of opportunities on the table. Provide your influencers with complimentary admission to your event so they can post about sessions, rave about expo experiences, and share their thoughts with individuals who may then have serious FOMO and join your community so they don’t miss out on these types of events in the future. This may be more of an investment, but if you’re engaging the right influencers, it will come with a long-term return.
Need Help with an Influencer Marketing Strategy for Your Events?
Eventistry by Alecia’s team has influencer marketing experience to help you develop a strategy, execute contracts, and see results. If you’re not leveraging influencer marketing to increase your brand awareness or event attendance by now, you’re truly missing out. Let’s chat about how we can change the trajectory of your event’s success with an influencer marketing strategy.
